Former Steelers Tackle Ranked among Top Available Free Agents

Former Pittsburgh Steelers right tackle Chukwuma Okorafor has been named one of the top available free agents at the position by CBS Sports.

Okorafor was released by the Steelers earlier this month, as the team did not want to pay his $8.75 million salary for the 2024 season after he was benched mid-2023 for first-round pick Broderick Jones.

Okorafor said he still believes that he’s a starting-caliber NFL tackle.

“That’s the plan,” he said on locker clean-out day. “I think I’m young. I feel like I’ve got a lot of ball left in me.”

As teams from around the NFL look at the potential free agent options at tackle, they won’t find many names more accomplished than Okorafor. He was the Steelers’ starting right tackle for three and a half seasons, beginning with Week 1 of the 2020 season and carrying on until his benching eight games into the 2023 season.

That performance has Okorafor ranked as the eighth-best available tackle in this year’s free agent class, according to Jared Rubin of CBS Sports. Rubin ranked Okorafor as the eighth-best available tackle option in free agency.

In his top 10 list, Rubin led with Tyron Smith of the Dallas Cowboys, followed by Trent Brown of the New England Patriots, Jonah Williams of the Cincinnati Bengals, Mekhi Becton of the New York Jets, Jermaine Eluemunor of the Las Vegas Raiders, Donovan Smith of the Kansas City Chiefs and George Fant of the Houston Texans. Andrus Peat of the New Orleans Saints and Yosh Nijman of the Green Bay Packers rounded out the Top 10.